Asher Douglas
Unnamed father Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Unnamed maternal grandfather |status = Alive |actor = Patrick Bristow |appearance = "The Storm" }} Asher Douglas is the autistic son of serial killer Antonia Slade, who was manipulated by Eric Rawdon into swatting SSA Aaron Hotchner by posing as him. He appears in the Season Eleven episode "The Storm". Background Asher was born sometime around 1973 to Antonia Slade and her unidentified boyfriend, who conceived him while they were still teenagers. Asher's father was later killed by his maternal grandfather, who covered up the death as a hunting accident. After Antonia was forced to give birth to him at home, she gave him away due to the shame he brought to her family. As he grew up, Asher was found to have Asperger syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism, and developed an affinity with computers and electrical systems. As an adult, he befriended Eric Rawdon, a psychopath affiliated with a group of anarchists and homegrown terrorists, online. Rawdon manipulated him into giving him information about the number of explosives needed to destroy a city block, and later to pose as SSA Aaron Hotchner (who profiled Rawdon) as part of a swatting scheme. Asher purchased a spoofing software called "The Storm" and several audio-splicing programs, reviewed press conferences led by Hotch, and used some of them to create the warning "Today will change everything" in Hotch's voice. On September 28, 2016, under the cue of Rawdon's followers, Asher delivered the call to 911, successfully framing Hotch of conspiring an attack against the BAU headquarters in Quantico. The Storm Afterward, Asher is tracked down by the BAU and SWAT after JJ interrogated Antonia, who had kept tabs on Asher after giving him away. They raid his residence and Asher turns around with his hands closed. Captain Grant Howard orders Asher to drop whatever he is holding and prepares to shoot him, but Reid stops him. Reid then kindly tells him to show his hands and that he is with the police. Asher corrects him, saying that he is with the BAU, and proceeds to identify Reid and Rossi, clarifying that he researched the whole team, including Hotch. After being assured by Reid that they will not damage whatever he is holding if it isn't dangerous, Asher opens his hands, revealing computer chips that he built himself. He then allows Reid to handcuff him for his own protection. Afterward, Reid, who deduces Asher has Asperger syndrome, interrogates him and tells him that he must cooperate in order to avoid going to jail. Not wanting to implicate Rawdon, Asher confesses to splicing Hotch's voice and using it to frame him. Not believing him, Reid asks him about his knowledge of nitromethane; Asher gives him everything he knows about it. Reid asks if he ever bought it, but he denies it, citing that he has no need for it. Reid then reveals it was planted on Hotch, something Asher wouldn't do. Realizing he had been tricked, Asher becomes confused and starts hitting his thigh as a ritual to curb his frustration. Reid clarifies that 40 gallons of nitromethane were planted on Hotch, prompting him to finally reveal Rawdon's involvement. When Reid promises to help him if he talks, Asher tells him about his online communications with Rawdon and the latter's followers. He is last seen under police custody, but he was most likely exonerated afterward due to his Asperger syndrome. Appearances *Season Eleven **"Devil's Backbone" **"The Storm" Category:Criminal Minds Characters Category:Minor Characters Category:Suspects